Sept. 2, 2025
Dear U-M Employee,
I’m writing to make you aware of updates to university policies that directly affect your responsibilities as an employee and your role in helping to maintain a campus environment free of discrimination, harassment and misconduct.
Policy Updates
Following the June 2024 agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the university committed to creating a new non-discrimination policy for students with accompanying updates to our existing non-discrimination policy for employees. These policies outline the university’s process for responding to concerns of discrimination or harassment based on a protected class, including race, religion and national origin.
In addition, the university updated its existing Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct policy to align procedures as closely as possible across the policies.
Together, these policies provide consistency and clarity on the expectations for the U-M community and enable the university to respond to concerns, meet legal obligations, and offer support to students, faculty and staff who have been impacted by discrimination, harassment or misconduct.
Reporting Obligations
Under the new and updated policies, all non-confidential U-M employees (faculty and staff, including student employees) are expected to report to the Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office (ECRT) any information learned in the scope of their employment about alleged sexual or gender-based misconduct and protected class discrimination, harassment or retaliation.
This includes information learned through direct disclosure or other parties about behavior that targets an individual based on a protected class such as race, religion, national origin, age, sex or disability, and other prohibited behaviors under the sexual and gender-based misconduct policy including stalking, intimate partner violence and sexual assault.
This change expands employee reporting obligations from the previously designated group of Individuals with Reporting Obligations (IROs), which was limited to university leadership, supervisors, faculty and staff in specific units and/or with certain oversight of students.
Reporting exemptions still apply.
How to Report
You can share a concern with ECRT in any of the following ways:
- Report a Concern form
- Email [email protected]
- Phone (734-763-0235)
- In person between 8-5 pm, Mondays-Fridays at 2030 Administrative Services, 1009 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.
Training & Community Sessions
Formal training for employees on the policies will be forthcoming. ECRT will host several community information sessions on the policies and reporting obligations throughout September. Registration is required.
Please visit our website for guidance on how to respond to disclosures and how to report information. Additional questions may be directed to the ECRT team at [email protected].
Thank you for your support in helping to maintain a safe and equitable environment for all.
Sincerely,
Tami Strickman
Executive Director and Special Advisor to the President
Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office